Inert gas shielded welding torches have been in common use for over four decades. These employ a fixed or consumable metal electrode contained within a torch head constructed so that the welding zone is surrounded by a blanket of an inert gas. The gases most normally used are helium and argon. Welding torches of this type are used especially with metals that are highly sensitive to oxidation. Aluminum is perhaps the most common of these metals but the method is critical for more exotic materials such as titanium and zirconium. Similarly, plasma torches employ a jet of extremely hot ionized gas to cause fusion in the weld zone.
In similar fashion to conventional arc welding, inert gas shielded torches are characterized by high electrical currents at relatively low voltages. They tend to be rather small and compact in comparison to the rather bulky welding rod holders used for conventional arc welding.
One example of such a torch is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,788,401, issued on Nov. 29, 1988 to Kleppen, an inventor hereof, entitled “Inert gas welding torch.” the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Kleppen discloses a tungsten inert gas or similar welding torch which is adjustable in length for different welding situations.
While fingertip amperage controls are commercially available as are foot pedal amperage controls, they must be currently purchased separately and do not work together. In many welding situations it is advantageous to be able to switch from controlling amperage from the power supply by a foot pedal to a fingertip control. For example, a foot pedal is very useful when the welder can be positioned on a chair or is otherwise stationary. However, for some situations, such as working under a car chassis, a fingertip control is preferred for both safety reasons and ease of use.
Unfortunately, an adaptable system which combines a finger-tip control with a foot pedal control is not currently available. The present invention provides a solution for such a combination which facilitates switching from fingertip control to foot pedal control. In one operational mode, the fingertip control is used in combination with a pistol grip which increases both accuracy and comfort for the user. Also provided is a low profile mode which is implemented by removing the pistol grip from the amperage control assembly module and connecting it to a torch handle.